Newcastle 2 (4)-(0) 0 Arsenal
by Roger Domeneghetti
at St James’ Park
 

IT WAS Arsenal who needed goals, but it was Newcastle who got them, booking their second trip to Wembley in three seasons with an utterly dominant team performance.

In the month since the first leg, Arsenal’s form had improved appreciably. They had won five of their last six, culminating in a handy dismantling of Manchester City just three days ago.

Newcastle, by contrast, had faltered, losing their last two at home.

Walking to the ground before the match was to walk through a city pregnant with nervous anticipation. Tyneside was on edge.

But those nerves did not spill onto the pitch. Eddie Howe took the decision to play five at the back. It was brave, it could have backfired, but in the end it proved inspired.

Howe had called on his team to “attack the game” in the build-up, and they did so with gusto.

Alexander Isak had the ball in the back of the net after just four minutes, but his thunderous effort was ruled offside by VAR after an agonising wait.

Then in the 18th minute came the moment that determined the course of the game and the tie. Martin Odegaard was denied first by a Sven Botman block and then by the post.

It took just seconds to show how costly his profligacy would be. Isak beat William Saliba to the resulting goal kick and flicked it to Anthony Gordon before thundering the return ball against the post.

It rebounded across goal to Jacob Murphy who was on hand to gratefully pass it into an empty net. VAR had nothing to say about this one.

It was in effect a two-goal swing. A deficit that could have been reduced to one had increased to three; fine margins.

As Arsenal pressed for a foothold in the game, Newcastle went into game management mode, conceding possession, trusting their back five to smother the threat of Arsenal’s front three, niggling their opponents, hitting them on the break.

The Gunners were rattled, their usual defensive poise and composure deserting them.

Seven minutes into the second half, they gifted Newcastle the goal that put the tie beyond doubt.

Gordon harried David Raya into a short, ill-considered pass to Declan Rice, who was robbed by Fabian Schar. Gordon swept the ball home. Cue delirium.

Now, just Liverpool or Spurs stand between Newcastle and the end of a 70-year domestic trophy drought.